I have bought X3 Terran Conflict on the Mac App Store to play on my 2008 iMac (2.8 GHZ with 8800GS) but I have a big problem:
The game launches, I can start a new game but if I try to load any save game, I will appear within the space station and if I undock the game will freeze a couple of seconds after unlatching. The image is then frozen with a roughly 5 seconds audio loop which goes on for a long time until OSX decides to kill the game or I hard reboot. Trying to kill the thread myself doesn't work.

Reading the Windows support forum on the developer's website there appears to be an issue between X3 and some audio codecs (specifically ffdshow, not sure what this does) but the only apps that could have this my mac are VLC and Handbrake.

I have contacted Virtual Programming without answer so far (and I asked the same question in the Arstechnica forum without solution so far either).
I have tried zapping the Pram with no result, I have yet to try resetting the SMC.

Does/did any of you experience the same issue? What fixed it?
Does anyone have an idea that I could try?